Middle of the Night by Riley Sager follows a gripping story that unfolds 30 years after a traumatic event. The narrator reflects on the night he lost a friend during a camping adventure in his backyard. As he returns to his childhood home, eerie memories surface. The narrative explores themes of grief and lingering trauma, building a mysterious atmosphere through subtle details. While some find the book has a slow burn quality, it manages to keep readers engaged with unexpected twists and emotional moments.

While the writing style might not resonate with everyone, it captures a creeping sense of dread throughout. Readers have mixed opinions on the execution, with some feeling it veers into predictable territory. However, the story's unraveling mystery and the emotional depth of the main character's journey offer a rewarding experience. Overall, Middle of the Night serves as a thought-provoking thriller steeped in nostalgia and suspense.

Characters:

Characters are deeply intertwined with themes of grief and past trauma, reflecting complex emotional landscapes.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style captures a creeping sense of dread and emotionality interwoven through the narrative.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot focuses on a long-ago traumatic event, involving a friend's disappearance and memories that haunt the protagonist as an anniversary approaches.

Setting:

The setting involves a suburban environment that amplifies themes of nostalgia and haunting memories.

Pacing:

Pacing is slow and deliberate, which can either enhance the narrative or lead to reader dissatisfaction.

Notes:

The book cover features striking neon green text on a dark background, which catches readers' attention.

The story begins 30 years after a traumatic event in the narrator's life.

The narrator grapples with grief and the memory of a friend who went missing during their childhood.

The setting involves a childhood home where the narrator returns after his parents pass away.

Throughout the story, there's a sense of anticipation linked to the anniversary of the abduction.

Readers mention a mix of spooky elements without it being a horror novel.

The book is described as a slow burn thriller that unfolds gradually, rewarding patient readers.

Some reviewers found the ending disappointing or predictable compared to Sager's earlier works.

The narrative evokes a nostalgic feeling for summer, as well as a creeping sense of dread.

Riley Sager is becoming a popular author, with multiple readers expressing their loyalty to his other books.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings could include themes related to abduction, trauma, grief, and possibly disturbing themes related to the past.

From The Publisher:

In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend-and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh's backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy's presence keep appearing in Ethan's backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed ghosts roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place-be it quiet forest or suburban street-is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

Ratings (18)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (6)
Liked It (7)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (41):

Read It (20)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (17)
Did Not Finish (3)

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Middle of the Night

Riley Sager